My love affair with these Oven-Roasted Lady Finger Fries began years ago when I had them at one of my favorite Indian restaurants. I believe they are called Kurkure Bhindi (Spicy Deep Fried Okra). Traditionally, they are coated with spices and deep fried with chickpea flour. While the crispy thin bhindi are super delicious and addictive with every bite, it would be rather sinful to consume it on a regular basis.
This recipe is adapted from my favorite Indian chef, Sanjeev Kapoor’s Kukure Bhindi. But instead of deep frying the lady fingers, I opted to bake them in the oven. What you get is a tray of warm, spicy lady finger fries that you can’t stop picking at. The spices I used in this recipe are readily available in most supermarkets, so there’s no reason not to give this easy recipe a try!
Ingredients:
15 -20 lady fingers (look for dark green colored ones)
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp coriander powder
1/3 tsp ground cumin
Some salt
1 -2 tsbp veg oil (I’m using olive oil)
Serves 2 – 3
Recipe adapted from: Sanjeev Kapoor (with modifications)
Preheat your oven to 220°C/450°F.
Line your baking tray with non-stick baking sheet and set aside.
Wash and pat dry the lady fingers. Make sure they are completely dry or else they won’t be crisp.
Trim of the stem and slice them lengthwise into four. If you are not a fan of the seeds, you could remove them. I left them in their original state.
Place them into a large bowl.
In a small bowl, mix the spices together (except the salt and oil).
Add into the cut lady fingers and toss well.
Drizzle the oil over them and give them a final mix.
Arrange the lady fingers onto the lined baking tray in a single level so they will bake evenly.
Bake in the oven for about 20 mins, or until brown. Keep an eye on them as different ovens’ temperature vary.
Remove from oven and sprinkle some salt while they are still hot and toss well.
Serve warm.